Five lessons I learned as a summer intern with Driven Brands
Emily Reber spent the summer of 2023 in a Driven Brands internship program, supporting marketing and communications efforts for Take 5.
Editor’s note: Emily Reber is a recent graduate from Old Dominion University. She graduated with honors, receiving her BS in Communication along with a minor in Sociology. She reflects on her experiences as a summer intern.
In my room, I sat at my desk worried and wondering what life was going to look like after college. *What was I going to do next? What company would want to hire me? Will I be successful? *
After a few moments of being lost in those thoughts, I assured myself that I was not the only college student feeling this way. To raise my spirits, I decided to log into my LinkedIn account and search for different opportunities aligned best with my long-term professional goals.
After a few moments of scrolling, my attention was caught by a red, yellow, and black logo that read Driven Brands. Something inside me told me to apply for their newly designed internship program.
I applied for the Marketing internship for the Take 5 team and met a wonderful recruiter, Gale. She was so helpful and full of excitement. This made me even more eager to begin working with Driven Brands.
My internship started in June 2023. I was ambitious and ready to take on anything that could potentially come my way. I was also ready to listen and learn all that could be offered to me along the way.
Fast forward to today – as my internship is coming to an end, I have taken time to reflect on my work with the Take 5 marketing and communication teams at Driven Brands. I was privileged to build two of my very own projects: one for the marketing team and one for the communications team.
The biggest project I was tasked with was for the marketing team. I was asked to build a plan for a program that could work for both Take 5 Oil Change and Take 5 Car Wash that mapped out how we planned to partner with universities in areas where we had various locations.
The smaller project I was asked to complete was for the communication team and involved building local community engagement. My day-to-day work was filled with assignments such as creating comments on the social media posts of our sport sponsors, coming up with creative ways to grow our organic social media activity, writing press releases, building media contact lists, and so much more. All in all, I was allowed to dabble in a little bit of everything and was able to see the full picture of how the marketing and communication teams work together.
Through reflection, I have come to appreciate five lessons from my summer internship.
Make connections
The first lesson, and the one I feel is the most important, is to not be afraid to make connections. Take a moment to speak to and learn from every person who crosses your path. You never know if their expertise may come in handy for your professional future.
Be adaptable
The second lesson that I learned while interning is to be open and ready for all opportunities that come your way. Even if what you’re being asked to do is not necessarily listed under your specific job description, take that time to learn something new.
Being adaptable to new tasks is a great way to see where you have room for growth personally and within your company.
You’re never alone
After my time with Driven Brands, I realized that sometimes the job just cannot be done alone, and it does not have to be done alone. It is okay to ask for help or get another opinion when you feel like you have hit a mental wall. Sometimes teamwork really does make the dream work!
Creativity is key
The fourth lesson I learned is to not be afraid to speak up and let my ideas or thoughts be known. Everyone has a voice, and your idea might just be the breath of fresh air that the project or team needs.
Be enthusiastic
Finally, show your passion and enthusiasm. Sometimes even the most qualified candidate for a position can get looked over simply because they do not display enough emotion toward that career or project.
It is great to be professional, but don’t forget to stay authentic to who you are.
Coming into this program as a non-marketing major, I was given the opportunity to learn so many new things. As a communication major, in school I learned about communicating and engaging with the customer, but this internship has taught me the behind-the-scenes side. I learned marketing terms I had never heard before and I got to learn the process and what all goes into thinking of, designing, implementing, and budgeting for advertisements for a brand. I also got to work with the communication team for Take 5 and strengthen my skills within that sector of the brand, too.
I believe my experiences at Driven have shaped me to be more well-rounded for the professional world. I’m so happy that I got this chance to be an intern for Driven Brands and even more so to be a part of their family. My summer internship has given me the competitive edge I need as I think about my future career. Overall, I am so proud of myself and my time with the Take 5 marketing and communication teams at Driven Brands.